JEFFERSON TWP — Corrie Jones has been coaching the Penn Valley team for 26 years.

John Koval is in his first season as coach at Zelienople and Caitlyn Goldinger is in her debut season at SEBCO.

More importantly, the A-K Valley Swim League is alive and well.

After having the 2020 season wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, the league returned this season with six teams: Penn Valley, SEBCO, Zelienople, Sylvan, Belmont and Vandegrift.

Penn Valley, located in Penn Township, went undefeated during the regular season and won the league's “Pump” McLaughlin Lollipop Championships — for swimmers 8-under — Saturday at the SEBCO pool.

“We have 80 to 85 swimmers,” Jones said of her Penn Valley roster. “We're the biggest team in the league in terms of numbers.

“There was a lot of concern over what this season would look like ... not only if the families would bring their kids back in, but the funding of the pools. We weren't sure what the status of the public pools would be.”

The public pools reopened and the season went on. There were approximately 75 8-under swimmers at the Lollipop Championships, which began at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Kendall Cranmer of Penn Valley and Ian Brenenborg of Belmont won the Jane Thimons Excellence Award Saturday for female and male high-point scorers, respectively, at the Lollipop Championships.

Belmont hosted the league championships for the older kids Sunday. Penn Valley won that title as well. The 12-under division competed first, followed by the 13-18 division.

“We spit the two up to limit the number of people at the pool at one time,” Jones said. “And we have to be done by noon, when the pools open to the public.

“Parents had to have their kids here (at SEBCO) by 7 a.m. That takes a lot of dedication. There are volunteers working this meet. Everyone could have easily slept in instead, but we all recognize the importance of this activity to these kids. It's a return to normalcy for them.”

Goldinger has been a SEBCO swimmer for 13 years. She had another year of eligibility this season, but gave it up to assume the coaching reins.

None of SEBCO's coaches returned from the 2019 season. Caden Traggiai, who still swims competitively for the team, is an assistant coach this year.

SEBCO had 120 swimmers in 2019. It only has 41 swimmers this season.

“Small, but mighty,” Goldinger said. “We did lose a few kids to the uncertainty of our situation (during the offseason). Some went over to Penn Valley and Sylvan. I imagine we'll get a lot of kids back next year, a year removed from COVID and with our program on stable ground.”

Traggiai has been swimming for SEBCO for nine years.

“I wanted to help out the younger kids,” he said. “It's fun working with them and watching them get better. Our older kids communicate with our younger kids — some of them are here today encouraging them. It's great seeing that.”

Traggiai wound up winning the John F. Masarik Award Sunday for being the top point scorer in the senior boys age group.

Goldinger pointed out that “high school swimmers use this league as a conditioning thing and the younger kids use it to come out of their shell.

“A lot of thje young kids are shy at the beginning. They gain confidence, get to know the other kids and it all comes together.”

Zelienople has 54 swimmers this season. Koval, a former West Virginia University swimmer, grew up in South Carolina.

Once he moved tyo this area, he began coaching with the Seneca Valley Swim Club.

“I know the value of these summer swim programs. I was in one for years in South Carolina,” Koval said. “When I saw the Zelieniople team needed a coach, I wanted to help out.

“This is a fun feeder program for the high school team.”

Emily Tekelenberg and Haihan Xu are assistantys for Zelienople.

“They grew up in this program and know a lot of the kids,” Koval said. “They've been a big help in the transition.”

Koval threw a fist in tye air as he watched 6-year-old Benny Bardol win the 25-meter freestyle Saturday.

“That's just an example of how much these kids have improved from the start of the season to now. These kids have come a long way,” Koval said.

Jones couldn't help but smile at the spectacle of Saturday's event.

“This is like a celebration of the season, a big party,” she said. “And that's the way it should be.”